Sad-iron.



LOUIS ADAMS, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

SAD-IRON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1907.

Application filed February 26,1907. Serial No- 859,370.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Sad-Iron, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sad irons and more especially to that type employing a detachable handle whereby one or more of the irons may be heating while another is in use, a single handle serving for the manipulation of all the irons, and the object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle that may be attached to the iron expeditiously and with certainty, and also detached therefrom by simply rotating the handle portion that is gripped by the hand of the operator, a device being also provided that serves to lock the iron attaching portions in cooperative relation with the iron to prevent accidental disengagement thereof.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a sad iron constructed in accordance with the present invention, the handle and those por tions of the iron adapted to receive the attaching members being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1, a portion of the iron being broken away. Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

The drawings illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the device therein shown comprising the iron proper 1 of any suitable form, and having a pair of recesses 2 and 3 formed in its upper surface, the walls of these recesses farthest removed from one another being inclined or undercut, as shown at 4 and 5, the several irons to be used in connection with the improved handle having recesses formed therein of the same dimensions in order that the handle may fit them interchangeably.

The improved handle comprises, in the present instance, an inverted yoke 6 having its ends upturned and provided with bearings or apertures to receive a revoluble shaft 7, a handle or grip 8 being fixed on said shaft and the latter having a worm 9 fixed on one end thereof at the outer side of the arm 10 of the yoke, a locking disk or member 11 being also fixed to and revoluble with the handle shaft. In the particular instance shown, the end of the shaft 7 carrying the worm and locking member is provided with an enlarged squared or angular portion 12 which serves to operatively connect the worm and locking member to the shaft, and the nut 13 serves to take up loose motion between the shaft and the arms of the yoke in order to prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft during its operation.

The iron attaching members are suitably attached to the yoke in a manner that will permit a relative movement thereof to engage and disengage the recesses of the iron, the attaching member 14 being fixed to the yoke at one end and having a'downwardly and rearwardly extending portion adapted to enter the recess 3 and co operate with the undercut rear wall thereof, and the relatively movable attaching member 15 is pivotally attached to the yoke of the handle by means of a pair of forwardly extending lugs 16, 17, riveted, or otherwise secured to the arm 10 of the yoke, and provided with a pivot pin 18 extending therethrough and forming a fulcrum or pivot. for the attaching member 15. On the latter, above the pivot, is formed a section of a worm wheel 19 adapted to cooperate with the worm 9 on the handle shaft, and the lower end of the relatively movable attaching member is provided with a forwardly directed portion 20 adapted to enter the forward recess 2 of the iron and cooperate with the undercut forward wall thereof When the attaching members of the handle moved relatively to separate or spread their lower ends, the relative inward taper of the undercut walls of the recesses in the iron cooperating with the correspondingly formed ends of the attaching members will serve to prevent disengagement of the handle and the iron, and when the attaching members are operated relatively to proximate their lower ends, the latter will be withdrawn from the undercut walls of the recesses and the handle and iron may be freely disengaged.

The devices employed in the present instance for causing the engaging and disengaging movements of the attaching members are operated by a turning movement of the handle or grip which is employed for manipulating the iron, and the operative connections between this handle or grip and the relatively movable attaching member is provided by the worm and worm wheel 9 and 19, respectively, the rotation of the bandle S in one direction causing the worm 9 to rotate the worm Wheel section 19 rearwardly, turning the attaching member 15 about the pivot 18 as an axis and therefore causing its lower end 20 to move forwardly and cooperate with the undercut forward wall of the recess 2, and rotation of the handle in a reverse direction will cause a reverse movement of the attaching member that will serve to disengage the lower end of the latter from the undercut portion of the recess, the thrust of the lower end 20 of the relatively movable attaching member against its corresponding wall of the forward recess when moving intd locked position reacting to cause engagement of the corresponding portion of the relatively fixed attaching member with the rear undercut wall of the recess 3.

It is preferable to provide a suitable device for looking the handle to the iron, and thereby prevent acci dental disengagement that would result in dropping the iron from the handle and the device employed in the present instance for accomplishing this result embodies a latch 21 having a dog 22 thereon arranged to cooperate, with a shoulder 23 on the locking member 11 when the handle is rotated until it reaches the locked position and a finger or thumb piece 24 is provided thereon beyond the dog that is so located relatively to the handle that it may be lifted by the thumb oi the operator to disengage the dog thereon from the shoulder on the locking member without the necessity of removing the hand from the handle, and this, of course, facilitates the transfer of the handle from one iron to another. The latch 21 is preferably actuated automatically as by gravity, as in the present instance, the purpose being to provide a latch that will operate automatically to lock the handle attaching members when they reach the locked position, and this latch is attached to the arm 10 of the handle yoke by means of a stud 25 passing therethrough and resting in a slot 26 formed in the arm 10 and extending transversely of the axis-oi the shaft 7 to permit an adjustment of the pivot of the latch that will insure engagement of the dog 22 thereon with the shoulder 23 of the locking member at the moment the latter reaches the locked position, the stud being secured in proper position by means of the nut 27. A bushing 25 surrounds the pin, in the present instance, and prevents clamping of the latch 'be tween the arm 10 and the pin head.

In order to facilitate the application of the handle to the iron, and to retain it firmly in a vertical position relatively thereto, in order that lateral pressure may be applied to the iron handle to move the iron sidewise without liability of disengaging the handle therefrom, it is preferable to employ a suitable brace, the latter in the present instance embodying an arm 28 rigidly attached to the lower horizontal portion of the yoke of the handle and having feet 29 and 30 arranged to cooperate with the upper surface of the iron on opposite sides of the handle, the brace thus provided serving to prevent relative lateral deflection of the handle about the recess engaging portions of the attaching member as centers, so that the handlewhen locked to the iron will be practically as rigid as if--it were formed integrally or attached permanently thereto,

A sad iron constructed in accordance with my present invention can be attached to and detached from the irons with the greatest facility, for the reason that the locking and unlocking movements are accomplishcd by the manipulation of the same part that is gripped by the hand of the operator for carrying and manipulating the iron during the ironing operation, a partial revolution in either direction being sufficient to accomplish the locking 'or unlocking action, as the case may be, and the automatic latch employed for locking the handle to the iron is self acting, so that it does not require attention from the operator, and it prevents accidental disengagement of the iron and the handle, and the use of springs is entirely avoided.

Of course, it will be understood that other suitable devices could be interposed between the handle and the relatively movablelocking member for producing the desired movement thereof, the worm and worm wheel sector being shown as one embodiment of the invention, and, of course, in any particular case the pitch of the worm may be varied by providing the latter with either a single or a multiple thread, and it will be understood that other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron, of a handle portion embodying relatively movable attaching members adapted to eoiiperate with the iron, a rotatable handle adapted to serve as means for manipulating the iron, devices operated by a rotary movement of the handle for actuating one of the relatively movable attaching members, a ratchet wheel rotatable with the handle, and a latch adjustable circumferentially of the ratchet wheel for automatically locking said movable attaching members in coiiperative relation with the iron.

2. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron, of a handle portion adapted to be removably attached thereto, and embodying a pair of relatively movably attaching members adapted to coiiperate with the iron, a handle rotatably mounted on the handle portion and adapted to serve as means for manipulating the iron, a locking member rotatable with the handle, devices operated by a rotary movement of the handle for operating one of the said movable attaching members, and a latch arranged to cooperate with said locking member when the relatively movable attaching members are in locked position and adjustable in a direction circumferentially of the locking member.

3. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron, of a handle portion embodying a pair of relatively movable attaching members adapted to cooperate with the iron, a handle rotatably mounted on the handle portion, devices arranged to be operated by said handle for operating one of said attaching members relatively to the other, a looking member rotatable with said handle and having a pro jection thereon, and a latch pivotally mounted on the handle portion adjustable in a direction circumferentially of the locking member and having a dog arranged to cooperate with the projection of said locking member to retain the parts in locked position and having a releasing finger extending beyond the dog thereon and adapted to be engaged by the finger of the operators hand grasping the handle.

4. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron provided with recesses in its upper surface, of a handle portion having a pair of attaching members thereon, one of the said members being movable relatively to the other and each having a portion adapted to codperate with a recess of the iron, a handle or grip rotatably mounted on the handle portion, a worm mounted to turn with said handle, and a worm wheel sector carried by the relatively movable attaching member and cooperating with said worm to cause relative locking and unlocking movements of the attaching members when said handle is rotated.

5. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron having recesses formed therein and provided with undercut walls, a relatively fixed attaching member secured to the handle portion and arranged to coiiperate with the undercut portion of one of said recesses, a relatively movable attaching member pivotally mounted on the handle portion and adapted to cooperate with the undercut portion of another recess in the iron, a worm wheel sector being formed on said movable member, a handle or grip rotatably mounted on the handle portion and adapted to serve as means for the manipulation of the iron, and a worm mounted to turn with said handle and cooperating with the worm wheel sector of said movable member to cause the locking and unlocking movements thereof.

6. Ina sad iron, the combination with an iron provided with a pair of recesses having undercut walls, of a handle portion embodying an inverted yoke having upwardly extending arms, a relatively fixed attaching member being secured to said yoke and having a portion formed to coiiperate with the undercut portion of one of said recesses in the iron, a relatively movable attaching me1nber pivotally mounted on said yoke and having its lower end formed to coiiperato with the undercut portion of the other recess in said iron and having a worm wheel sector formed on its upper end, a shaft journaled to turn in the arms 01'; said yoke, a worm fixed to said shaft on the outer side of one of said arms and arranged to cooperate with the worm wheel sector on the relatively movable attaching member, and a handle fixed to said shaft between the arms of the yoke and serving to operate said Worm and also providing means for manipulating the iron.

7. In a sad iron, the combination with an iron having recesses in its upper side, of a detachable handle portion embodying a yoke having a relatively fixed attaching member adapted to cooperate with one of the recesses of the iron, a relatively movable attaching member pivoted at a point intermediate its ends to the yoke having one end adapted to cooperate with the coi'responding recess in the iron and having a worm wheel sector formed in its opposite end, a handle mounted to rotate on the yoke, and a worm arranged to rotate with the handle and cooperating with the worm wheel sector for operating the attaching members relatively to engage and disengage the recesses of the iron.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS ADAMS.

Witnesses ALBERT Hims'rmn, JOHN Scnwnn. 

